How to Care for Ear Gauges? Easy Stretching Tips for Healthy Care

Ear gauges are one of the best ways to express your personality with body jewelry. If you are just starting to stretch your ears or have been wearing ear plugs and tunnels for a while, it is important to take proper care of them. Without proper care, you risk infections or even damage to your ears. Here are some easy tips that will help you keep your ear gauges healthy and safe.

Start Slowly

Do not rush the stretching process. If you stretch your ears too soon, you might end up hurting them. Stretch them little by little and let around 4-6 weeks pass before increasing size further. This allows healing time for your ears while they get accustomed to a new size. Patience now will keep your ear saddles and ear tunnels in great condition.

Make Use of Good Materials

Use materials that won't hurt your skin. It is recommended to use safe materials such as surgical steel, titanium, glass, or natural items like wood or silicone. These will cause fewer problems. PunkPlugs offers body jewelry made from safe materials suitable for ear gauges to ensure they are good for your ears. Whether you need ear saddles, ear hangers and weights, Custom Neon is your way to go.

Keep Your Gauges Clean

Ear gauges should always be kept clean to avoid infections. Clean your ear piercings and jewelry using mild soap or saline solution (salt-water). Do not use alcohol, as it may dry the skin and irritate it. Keep the area around the jewelry clean to maintain freshness.

Keep Your Skin Moisturized

Stretching your ears can sometimes dry out the skin around them. To keep your skin smooth and healthy, use oils like jojoba oil, vitamin E, or coconut oil. These oils help prevent dryness, itchiness, and irritation. Apply a small amount of oil around your ear gauges to keep your skin smooth and flexible.

Don't Sleep on Your Gauges

Sleeping on your ear gauges may be too hard on them, thus slowing healing time. It's better to sleep on your back or with a soft pillow, not on the gauges, as that would just squish it. When your gauges are big, you can buy an ear pillow specifically designed for keeping ear jewelry safe when you're sleeping.

Monitor Pain and Irritation

It is normal to feel some discomfort when stretching your ears, but excessive pain, swelling, or bleeding might be a sign that something is wrong. If this happens, remove the jewelry and consult a doctor. Stretched ear jewelry should not cause much pain, so listen to your body and rest when needed.

Be Aware of Infection

Infections can occur if your ear gauges are not properly cared for. Signs of infection include redness, swelling, pain, pus, or an unpleasant smell. If you notice any of these symptoms, remove your jewelry immediately and gently clean the area. Do not try to force the jewelry out if it is stuck-this could make things worse. If the infection doesn't get better or becomes worse, seek medical help. Maintaining your plugs and tunnels clean and using quality material will help prevent infections.

Ear Accessories  

Ear accessories, such as saddles, ear plugs and tunnels, and ear weights and hangers can cause an infection if they are kept without proper hygiene or lower-quality products used.

Conclusion

Ear gauges require time and care. Every time you stretch, make sure you give them some time to heal before going further. Healing can be a matter of weeks, or even months, and this depends on how careful you are with your ear gauges. The idea is patience—when properly cared for, your ear gauges will look nice and feel great.